


Valentione’s Day | Love Letter

by CelesteKimera



Series: EmetWol Valentione's [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Love Letters, Named Azem (Final Fantasy XIV), emetwolvalentione2021, fluff but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29768265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelesteKimera/pseuds/CelesteKimera
Summary: Khronos is always out and about as Azem, but they do think of him while they're out and so they put together something special for the interim and their return.
Relationships: Azem/Hades (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: EmetWol Valentione's [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2187840





	Valentione’s Day | Love Letter

A large, simple, sandglass arrives on his desk one day when Khronos is out fulfilling their duties as Azem. He watches idly as it comes into existence. The simple white wooden frames form first. Then the glass. And lastly, the bright red sand appears in the top bulb, full to the brim as if poured by an invisible hand. 

He picks it up and turns it round while the sand falls at a measured pace, admiring the simplicity of the concept. The wood frame is smooth all around save for the top where a heart is engraved in it’s center. He would have suspected the creation to be Hyth’s doing if it were not for the timing. Khronos had been out for a month or so prior and were due to be back soon. They would often leave small trinkets as they made their journey home.

Hades’ red earring turns silver and the transparent image of Khronos appears sitting on his desk beside the sandglass. Their mask and robes are gone, replaced with some corner of the stars traditional garb no doubt. Their hands are folded neatly on their lap.

“You will be returning soon I presume?” Emet asks, placing the sandglass back down onto the desk. “Elidibus, as always awaits your reports on the health of our star.”

“I will be late in returning.” They say when they see him. “I wanted to make sure that your present arrived safely.”

“And if I had not been where you wanted me to be Khronos, what would you have done?” Hades asks them.

“I would aim to be sneakier, my dear.” Khronos replies with a small smile. “Ah, but before I forget…”

Khronos hand rests atop the circular frame of the sandglass above Hades’ hand and the heart engraved on the sandglass peels away and floats up.

“A second gift, placed within the first.” Khronos says.

He reaches for the heart and it turns into an envelope in his hands.

“I suppose that all of this is for…” Hades starts, gesturing at the sandglass with the envelope in his hands. But Khronos is already gone. He sighs. Their check-ins had been far and few as of late.

He opens the letter and Khronos’ voice fills the room as if they had never left.

“I this finds you well, dear Hades. Our positions have made it harder to find quiet moments together, so I thought to fill the gap betwixt our differing schedules.” Khronos says.

There’s a flash of light and when it clears, Hades finds that an elaborate illusion has been placed over his room. Khronos stands at the edge of a cliff to a canyon in foreign clothes. There’s a strong wind blowing up from the canyon behind them.

“I cannot drag you from your work unceremoniously anymore. But I will keep my favorite parts of the star to share with you.” Khronos says, offering a hand to Hades while the other rests at the crook of their back.  
  


“You’re supposed to be working.” Hades says with a huff.

The Khronos standing on the edge of the cliff raises an eyebrow at him.

“I am. I worked on this on my off time.” They say, gesturing to themself and the world around them. “But I can bring you along next time, if you wish to vouch to Elidibus that I’m competent enough to multitask.”

“I have never doubted your competency.” Hades says seriously. He walks over and takes their hand regardless. The sensation is a perfect recreation of Khronos’ warmth, both in their hand and their demeanor.

“They know.” Khronos says, tightening their grip on his hand as they jump off the cliff backwards, pulling him along with them.

Khronos pulls out a small concept matrix from behind their back as the two of them fall. Their fall is slow, with the gusts from the canyon itself pushing them up while gravity pushes them down.

The hold onto it for a moment, and he watches the look of concentration on their face until it dissipates in their hands.

He cannot feel the outward rush of aether that comes with a concept being realized like he could in the real world. He falls with them, waiting for the effect to take place. There's a moment, when nothing is happening and they're falling down toward the strip of river below where Hades realizes that he has made a very foolish mistake in following along with them, without seeking to understand what exactly he was getting into. He couldn't die here, the entirety of it was an illusion, despite the feel of the gusting winds that blew about his robes and the warmth that came from holding their hand.

He looks to them and sees that Khronos' face is a pillar of calm. Their purple eyes are transfixed on him the entire time.

"Khronos!" He calls out to them, thinking that he will only barely be heard over the wind around them.

They smile at him as large wings sprout from Khronos' back. They are large, big enough to engulf him, and grey and speckled with white. They catch the wind being blown up from the canyon, shooting them back up to the top where they had jumped from.

Hades yells and reaches out with his free hand to grab onto whatever he could get a hold of.

Khronos takes his free hand in theirs with a firm grip, and then goes up higher, pulling Hades along with them.

"Is this what you wanted to show me!" Hades yells above the wind blowing around them. "A manifestation of your modified concept?"

"A little of both!" Khronos tells him. "Better to show you here where you can't back down so willingly! You'd have never jumped unless I told you everything!" Khronos yells back. They stop climbing higher and settle for gliding over the canyon, with the strong gusts from below keeping them aloft.

"Look at this Hades. Look around you!" Khronos says, and he can hear the excitement rising in their voice. "This is our star! This is what I’m seeing! What I’m working to protect!"

Hades finally looks down at the canyon spread out below them, windblown rock formations smoothed down over time. He watches as they pass over the river and the specks of animals that were gathered for water.

"Can you bring us closer?" He asks. “Or at least as close as you can get us on—“ Hades asks.

He's answered with the steepest dive as they drop down toward the river, cutting through the wind at an incredible speed. He yells in complaint and Khronos answers with their laughter, though they do slow their descent for his sake. Their dive tapers out right above the water, just enough that his foot disturbs the surface as they glide past.

When they had finished their excursions into the illusory image of their star, Khronos places him back on the cliff where they had started.

"I suppose that I have used up enough of my free time for frivolities." Hades says, as he adjusts his robes.

"There will be more to come once I've got everything sorted out on my side." Khronos says, and the wings on their back disperse in a burst of aether. "I've got a few more excursions planned until I can return home."

"More distractions?" Hades asks.

Khronos takes Hades head in their hands.

"Are they unwelcome?" Khronos asks him, their eyebrows furrowing in thought. "You have always been...mercurial."

Heat rises to his cheeks as he looks at them.

"Not at all. But, I have work to be done as well lest you forget." Hades says, flustered despite the knowledge that his Khronos was miles away from him.

"Then I will remember to time them appropriately. And you can read them as you wish." Khronos says.

"I will keep that in mind for your next letters arrival." Hades says.

"As I shall keep you in my thoughts as I travel the star Hades." Khronos says, deftly removing his mask so that they could plant a kiss on their forehead.

Hades takes hold of their wrist, before they could pull it completely out of his reach.

"Until next time?" Hades asks them.

"Until next time." Khronos says, placing one last kiss on his lips before the entirety of their creation disappeared before him.

He is returned to his room, exactly where he left, standing in front of his desk. Though the envelope that had been in his hand before was gone now.

A consequence of the magic's concept, he supposes as he settles down into his chair to work. Once it's purpose was expended it was gone. Such an ephemeral thing it was. The journey was good, and he had enjoyed spending more time with Khronos, roundabout as it was.

He would ask after it later whenever Khronos arranged for the next letter's arrival. No doubt Hythlodaeus would find interest in it, if they hadn't already started making plans to submit it to the Bureau for storage in its extensive libraries.


End file.
